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Episodes
Sunday Sep 15, 2024
Sunday Sep 15, 2024
Church Leadership
Session 5:
What does the New Testament tell us about what characteristics we should expect from a church leader”
Part 1
If a church were to place an advert in a local newspaper or a well-known Christian magazine inviting applications for a leader in a church, what would be the job description and what would the person specification include? Would we see “able to lead worship” in there? What about “having a heart for evangelism”? And then there is “able to work with young people” and perhaps “good administrator” – and so the list could go on – with the hope that “superman” (or “superwoman”) – the person that can do everything - will apply. While these things may be important, Paul’s emphasis is on the character of the leader – what they are rather than what they can do. The focal point for both elders and deacons is the person’s reputation among believers and unbelievers – one that is based on proven moral character and maturity. Duties are hardly mentioned.
You might like to pause this podcast and read 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5–9.
The ‘code of conduct’ for elders as set out in 1 Timothy 3 is all about character and needs little explanation. As a former elder and church leader I have to admit that they are quite daunting and – without God’s grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit they would be impossible to achieve. People will judge the church by its leaders and they must maintain a good reputation among those outside the body of believers – so that the witness of the church is not damaged and that the devil has nothing to use to entrap them. But let us, too, remember what we looked at in session 3 - we serve a God of outrageous grace and, with repentance, there is forgiveness and a way back for those who have sadly failed to meet the standard set out here.
I’ll turn to Paul’s instructions to Titus (which virtually mirror those to Timothy) to look at the leaders domestic sphere, their lifestyle and their ability to teach the Christian doctrine.
- Domestic: The husband of but one wife’ literally means “a one woman man” and this statement has provoked discussion in churches for many years – which we don’t have time to go into now. The main issue here is about faithfulness in marriage – how we conduct ourselves in our private life spills over into how we conduct ourselves in church life. Unfaithfulness in marriage is not a good advert for a church leader who will be emphasising to their flock the need for faithfulness to God and obedience to His commands.
- Lifestyle: Paul considers the lifestyle of the elder in both the negative and positive aspects. Tendencies toward overbearing behaviour and anger are indications of unfitness for working as part of a team – such people do not listen to the views of others but rather force their wills on then, causing disunity. Arguments and quarrels were in fact characteristic of false teachers – so they have no place in the lifestyle of the leaders of the church of God. Drunkenness and violence are indications of a lack of self-control – so such people are in no way fitted for looking after the church. The ‘dishonest gain’ prohibition is in direct contrast to the reason the false teachers do what they do – faithfulness in financial matters is necessary if the leader is to be ‘blameless’.
- Ministry: Good leadership involves “word” as well as character. The people chosen for the task of bishop / elder / overseer must have a sound understanding of Christian doctrine – the apostolic teaching both in its theological and ethical dimensions. Only such a person will be able to instruct others with sound doctrine and will have the confidence and intellectual ammunition with which to resist the currents of false teaching which were a serious problem for Titus on Crete, for Timothy in Ephesus and for us today..
The importance and urgency of the church’s evangelistic mission require that its leaders be of the highest calibre. They must be those whose leadership skills and purity of lifestyle instill confidence in Christians and draw respect from outsiders to the faith. While the standard set is high Paul is not proposing perfection or appointing those not needing to grow any more – otherwise no one would qualify. Rather Paul was looking for those in whom the Holy Spirit was evidently and actively at work (but not yet finished) in the whole of life. Next time we will look at the ‘code of conduct’ for deacons.
A prayer: “Father, we thank you for those that lead us in Church. Keep them close to You in all aspects of their life and bless them abundantly. Amen.”
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Saturday Sep 14, 2024
Saturday Sep 14, 2024
Church Leadership
Session 4:
What does the Old Testament teach us about leadership?”
Part 2
I mentioned last time about my management training course in which Nehemiah was the case-study. At the time I was thrilled by the use of the Bible in such a context, but I have to admit having forgotten most of what the teacher said – so I don’t know if I became a better manager as a result. But it did lead me to a deeper study of Nehemiah and his exploits.
We find him in Susa – one of the principal cities of the Babylonian and Persian empires and where we also find Daniel and Esther – as a “cupbearer to the king” (chapter 1:11). He was an exile from Jerusalem and having heard of the state of his home city, he determined to do something about it. We don’t have time to go into the whole story – but you can read it in Nehemiah. We focus on some of the lessons we can learn from him:
- Although he wanted to get on with things – he prayed and sought God first (1:4 – 11)
- He planned carefully and got as much help as he could (2: 6 – 9)
- He assessed the situation before he did anything or told anyone what was in his heart (2: 11 – 16)
- Then he told the leaders and the people what his plans were and sought their support (2: 17 – 20)
- He gave the glory to God for the success he expected (2: 20) and for the result (6:16)
- He mobilised the people at all levels (chapter 3) – and they “worked with all their heart” (4:6).
- He did not ignore opposition – but dealt with it prayerfully and practically (4: 4 & 5 and 13 – 21)
- Having done the practical job of rebuilding the wall, he turned, with Ezra, to the spiritual needs of the people (chapters 8 and 9)
- He dedicated what he had done to the Lord and gave Him the glory (12: 27 – 47)
- His last recorded words were: “Remember me with favour, O my God” (13:31).
Now let’s think about Joseph – his story fills most of the last part of Genesis. We don’t have time today to go into the details of his life and I assume most of you will know the major elements of his story. So, some summarised lessons from the one who began as an arrogant “Daddy’s boy”, became a slave, spent time in jail but eventually became Prime Minister of Egypt:
- Even as an arrogant teenager, God was speaking to Him through the dreams he was having. Sometimes if God plants a dream or vision in our spirits, it is better to keep it to ourselves until it begins to come to fruition.
- The brothers’ action was inexcusable – but it was all part of God’s plan. Sometimes things happen to us – or are done to us by others – that are part of God’s purposes for us, but we can’t recognise that until years later.
- The Lord was with Joseph – and his employer prospered (Genesis 39:5). Does our employer (or those we serve) prosper because of our faithfulness to God, our integrity etc?
- He resisted a very real temptation – he ran from it – a real lesson for us. Even when falsely accused – he refused to justify himself (but he was a slave and had no “voice” – remember we said in session 2 that we are Christ’s bond slaves).
- Twice we are told that the Lord was with Joseph in the prison (39: 21 & 23) – and even the prison “prospered” because Joseph was there. We don’t know how long he was in prison – but we must not let today’s circumstances rob us of what we know of God and His word – He will bring to pass His purposes even if we haven’t got a clue how or when.
- Even in the prison – falsely accused and reckoning he might never get out – he was concerned for others– “Why are your faces sad today?” We must not let our own difficulties stop us from caring for others and showing them the love of God.
- Joseph acknowledges that it is God who gives the answers (41:16). We are not here to make a name for ourselves – but to bring glory to God.
- Joseph didn’t just interpret the dream – he offered a solution to the problem.
- Pharaoh saw that the Spirit of God was in Joseph (41:37). Do those around us – those we work with, our employer, those we serve etc see God in us?
- God has his people in high office (41:41 – 44) – don’t be afraid of that if God calls you to it – do the job well and give God the glory
- The brothers bow before Joseph – and that dream is fulfilled – it took at least 20 years. God will do what He says He will do. Joseph puts his brothers to the test to see if they had learned anything over those years – sometimes we take a very long time to learn the ways of God.
Joseph got to his leadership position by a long and difficult route – but God was with him throughout and he acted with wisdom, justice and integrity. And even though others (in this case those very close to him) would seek to thwart God’s plans for him, Joseph was confident in his God and said to his brothers: “You meant to harm me – but God intended it for good” (50:20).
A prayer: “Thank You, Lord, that no matter our circumstances You have promised to be with us. And thank You that You do keep Your promises and are fulfilling Your purposes for us.”
Next time we will look at the characteristics of church leaders as set out in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus.
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Friday Sep 13, 2024
Friday Sep 13, 2024
Church Leadership
Session 3: “What does the Old Testament teach us about leadership?” – Part 1
Welcome to the third in this series on Church Leadership. So far we have affirmed that Jesus is the Head of the Church and that the Church is the people not a building. We have also looked at some of the terms used in the New Testament and elsewhere, that, I hope, will help us to be clear on what we are talking about as we look in more detail at leadership in the Church.
In this session I want to start to look at a few brief examples from the Bible that will give us some clues as to how God called and gifted leaders. We’ll continue with this next time.
As I was advancing in my career, the Director of the Department I was working in decided that I would benefit from some management training. So a one day course was chosen for me and off I went to join about 100 other people from various parts of the public sector. We were in a lecture hall, with a lectern on which was a book that looked to me like a Bible. At the due time the man who was going to teach us about management introduced himself and then asked the audience: “Who has heard of Nehemiah?” A few hands went up – including mine. He then took the Bible from the lectern, held it up and said: “This is the best textbook you can get on all aspects of life – including management”. He went on to tell us that he was going to use Nehemiah as a case study. He was brilliant! We’ll take a look at Nehemiah’s leadership style next time.
Not only do we find much help from those God chose as leaders – we also see that He chose imperfect people. Most of the saints of old got it wrong from time to time – Abraham lied about Sarah, Noah got drunk, Moses lost his temper, David committed adultery, Elijah was suicidal, Jonah ran away, Thomas doubted, Peter denied Jesus, Paul persecuted Christians – need I go on? The amazing thing is that God forgave them as they repented and He continued to use them. All of us, as leaders, are constantly in need of the grace of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit as we battle with sin and failure. Praise Him – He is the God of the second (and third and fourth and fifth etc etc) chance as we submit to Him.
We don’t have time today to look at many examples – so here are just two – we’ll look at more next time:
Moses began life as a foundling and was brought up in Pharaoh’s palace at a time when his people were being sorely oppressed. He had a magnificent early training in the best educational establishments that Egypt could offer and, aged 40 years, he went out to deliver his fellow Israelites. But he got it wrong – he was 40 years too soon! He ran away and spent 40 years in the desert looking after his father-in-law’s sheep. It was then that God called him and, at 80 years old, he was able to become one of the greatest leaders the world has ever seen. What do we learn from this?
- Nothing learned is ever wasted – God used his early education in Egypt to help him confront the Pharaoh of the day.
- Attempt things for God in your own strength and you will fail.
- Don’t despise the “wilderness experience”. Moses learned the ways of the desert through which he was to lead Israel.
- Work with others where you can – Moses had Aaron with him, along with the elders of Israel.
- Take advice from others – he listened to Jethro, his father-in-law, and reduced his burden by delegating to others (note, the Bible described those to whom he delegated “able men” – Genesis 18).
- Train the one who will take your place – Joshua, while being God’s chosen man, had to learn the ropes.
Then there is Daniel. I relate to him – after all, he was a government official (that was his “day job”) but also a powerful and faithful prophet of God. He was from the Hebrew elite – but still carried off into exile by the Babylonians. Along with his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, he refused to compromise on essential matters (eating kosher food and bowing down to graven images for example) and yet surpassed the other students in that year’s intake. You can read about it in the early chapters of the book that bears his name. God used him to interpret dreams, to guide the despotic kings who ruled over many years and to warn where necessary. The famous incident of the Den of Lions – when, incidentally, Danial was an old man, reminds us of his faithfulness over the whole of his career. This is what the first few verses of Daniel 6 have to say:
“It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
What a man! Would that all leaders – both in church and other spheres of service could be described like that.
Next time we’ll take a brief look at some more leaders from the Scriptures.
A prayer: “Thank you, Lord, that Your word pulls no punches about those you called to lead. Thank you for what we can learn from them and what it tells us about your outrageous grace – for which we thank You – in Jesus Name”
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Thursday Sep 12, 2024
Thursday Sep 12, 2024
Church Leadership
Session 2: What does it mean? Understanding the jargon
Welcome to the second of these podcasts on church leadership. Last time we asked the question: “Who is in charge?” The answer, of course, being that Jesus is the Head of the church – and therefore the Boss. In this session we are going to consider some of the terms that are used when talking about church and church leadership and attempt to be clear on what we mean as we go through this series.
Let’s start with the word “church”. We get our word “church” from the Greek "ecclesia" which literally means "assembly", "congregation", or the place where such a gathering occurs. Over the years, “church” has come to signify both a specific edifice of Christian worship (a "church"), and the overall community of the faithful (the "Church").
According to the New Testament, the earliest Christians did not build church buildings. Instead, they gathered in homes (Acts 17:5, 20:20, 1 Corinthians 16:19) or in Jewish worship places like the Temple in Jerusalem or synagogues (Acts 2:46, 19:8) – or in hired premises. It wasn’t until the 11th and 12th centuries that church buildings were erected and used for public worship and meetings of the church.
The proper use of the word “church” is when describing the body of believers who have been born again of the Spirit of God and accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. We see this expressed locally, nationally and internationally as all believers are part of the one Church.
Some “flavours” of the church retain a local leadership (with perhaps some affiliation to a national body), some have a more hierarchical structure both nationally and internationally. When we look at some aspects of leadership, we will attempt to make it clear what style of leadership we are talking about. So – church is the people, not buildings.
Now we come to terms commonly used for leadership roles in churches:
Some churches have bishops, priests and deacons – and all these terms are used in the New Testament. Other churches have other titles for their ministers – such as apostle, elder and pastor – and these terms also occur in the New Testament. Other terms within the hierarchy of some churches – such as dean, canon, cardinal and pope – have no Scriptural basis – and various words are used to describe the typical role of priest – such as rector, vicar etc.
Incidentally, the word ”minister” simply means servant – so it is a legitimate term to use for anyone serving the church of God in whatever capacity. I was stuck in traffic on the South Circular Road in London some years ago and saw a church noticeboard which said – among other things – “Ministers: The whole congregation”. I like that.
First of all – bishops: – the Greek word can also be properly translated ‘overseers’, ‘superintendents’ or ‘elders’. At one church where I was an Elder, one of the elderly gentlemen there used to greet me with “Good morning, Bishop” – and while it sounded strange in the Pentecostal church that we were – he was right. They feature always as a group within a given church – there is no single ‘bishop’ or ‘elder’ that holds office on their own.
‘Deacons’ are distinct from elders, and again spoken of as a group consisting of local people. Their name – ‘deacon’ means ‘server’ – suggests that their function was more practical – perhaps along the lines first explored in Acts 6. We shall use Stephen, one that early group, as an example when we look in more detail at this role.
Now let’s have look at ‘priests’. In Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus (the Pastoral Epistles) the word never occurs – Hebrews is the book where it is most frequently used in the New Testament. It refers first of all to the priests of the old covenant whose role was to offer sacrifice in the tabernacle/temple. But the preacher to the Hebrews argues that the role is now finished and there is no more place for animal sacrifice or for the priests who offer it. Instead there is Jesus as the Great High Priest and all believers have access to God through Christ’s single sacrifice. The idea of a priesthood that holds office in the church is not one held forth in the New Testament – all believers have a priestly ministry (that is: speaking to God for the people). The Greek word for ‘elder’ is presbyteros from which we get our English word ‘priest’. So, as time went on, a threefold pattern of bishop, priest and deacon became the standard form.
Peter, when talking to “the shepherds of God’s flock” (1 Peter 5:1 & 2) – from where we get our title of pastor – addresses them as ‘elders’. So pastors are simply “shepherds” and lead God’s people with an emphasis on the more gentle and caring aspect of “eldering”. Incidentally, Peter here describes himself as a “fellow elder” – and he was the recognised leader of the Christian Church at that time.
The basic meaning of apostle (apostolos) is simply that of one sent on a mission. In its primary and most technical sense apostle is used in the New Testament only of the twelve, including Matthias, who replaced Judas (Acts 1:26), and of Paul, who was uniquely set apart as apostle to the Gentiles The term apostle is used in a more general sense of other men in the early church, such as Barnabas (Acts 14:4), Silas and Timothy (1 Thess. 2:6), and a few other outstanding leaders (Rom. 16:7; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25).
We must be careful not to import our own understanding of these ‘ministry’ words back into them. We must recognise that both the words we use - and the nature of the offices they denote - have been through a long process of development. These letters were written to churches in the early stages of that development – and we must read them with a due awareness of the distance between those early days and the structures we find in most churches today.
We will look in more detail at these roles in future podcasts.
A prayer: Father, thank you for the church that I am part of – and thank You for those who lead us. May they know Your blessing as they follow You. Amen
Next week we will asking the question: “What does both the Old and New Testaments teach us about leadership?” Thank you and God bless you!
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Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
Church Leadership
Session 1: Who is in charge?
and it’s not me – or you)
I was in our local Christian bookshop the other day and found that they had about 300 books on church leadership – and I’ve got at least 25 on my bookshelves here at home.
I’m Andrew Clarke and I am now happily retired from a career as an accountant mainly in the public sector. Early in my working life God impressed on me that I was to be a “positive Christian witness in a secular society”. So, despite having been a church elder for some time when God put this on my heart – and having been courted by some to be in “full time service” (by the way, that’s a daft expression – all of us who are born again of the Spirit of God are full time for the Master), I did as I was told and God blessed that obedience. And having risen to very senior positions in big multi-million pound organisations, I learned on the way up that the skills God was gifting me with were of real relevance both in the workplace and in church.
As far as leadership roles in church goes, I became an elder at 23 (the church needed a Treasurer and the other elders considered I was the one - and it was an Elder role in that church) and, apart from some short breaks because of moving location and other circumstances, I’ve been graced to serve in church leadership since then. I did have a period – just under 20 years – when I was the leader of small church near to where we lived at the time. But I still retained my “day job” through all of this in obedience to my calling. Incidentally, 45 years on from those early days – I’ve become a church treasurer again! And I still have a “secular” part time role with one of our local police forces.
So – I come with some experience of my own, some lessons that I’ve learned by watching others (you can take that whichever way you like!) some by reading – but most importantly, as one who has been reading and meditating on the Scriptures and listening to the Holy Spirit over many years. Having said that, I feel utterly unequal to the task and it’s only by His grace and the empowering of the Holy Spirit that we can do anything fruitful for Him.
In these twelve podcasts, I intend, with God’s help, to answer some questions about church leadership. It will not be an exhaustive study – but I trust they will be a blessing to all of you – not just those that are leaders but also those whom God is preparing for this role and for those who enjoy (I did NOT say “endure”) being led.
But before all that we need to answer the question “Who is in charge?”.
There is only one God – and it’s not me – or you!
Paul, in Colossians 1:15–20, says: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
So Jesus is the Head of the Church – that means He is the Boss!
Paul, in Ephesians 1:23-24, makes a similar assertion: “And God placed all things under his [Jesus] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
And Jesus Himself, when responding to Peter’s confession the he is “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, described the coming church as “My church” (Matthew 16:18).
Paul – the pioneering Church leader – described himself at the beginning of most of the letters he wrote as a “servant (better translated as ‘bond slave’) of Jesus Christ”.
To be an effective leader in the Church of Jesus Christ we must be a slave – obedient to the Head and willing to fulfil His purposes as He reveals them to us.
So – who is in charge? Jesus is – He is the supreme One. Let us bow at His feet as humble bond
A prayer: Father God, as we begin this look at church leadership, may we recognise Jesus as Head and Lord of the church. Help us always and in everything to submit to Him as Master.
Amen.
Next time we will ask the question: “What does it mean” and try to explain the words we use when talking about the church and church leadership.
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Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
When Jesus returns back as King
Revelation 21-22
Introduction
We maybe about 2 months away from Christmas but as you know, at Christmas, we celebrate Jesus Christ coming to earth as a human. Christmas is a time where the Church and our community celebrate Jesus Christ's first coming as a baby. The community like to think of Jesus as a baby, because a baby can be controlled. Somewhat. Though that is coming from the perspective of somebody who has never had children!!! Society in general, is comfortable with leaving Jesus as a baby. However, Jesus is not a baby now, He is King and what a King. He is coming again, not as a baby this time, but as King and judge. Both ideas are affirmed by Jeremiah and John.
Christ's reign
Prepared Place!
Purity (v.1-4)
Pearly gates (v.21)
Conclusion
Be encouraged, heaven is for you if you are trusting and obeying Jesus and have Him as Lord of your life! Remember. Whatever your attitude and how you judge Jesus now, is how He will judge you when He returns! Are you following Him and treating Him with respect and reverence? If you aren't, then it isn't too late to change your mind and then the reward of eternal living in heaven will be yours! Are you suffering? Suffering will soon be gone. When you sin against God, keep a short account and ask for forgiveness as soon as you recognise that you have sinned and the Holy Spirit has convicted you of it. We yearn to be with our King for ever and ever. Yet, we are to keep one part of our mind on Heaven and the other on the responsible work we have been set to do, here on earth. We are not to be so heavenly minded, that we are of no earthly use.
Conversely, we are not to be so earth bound, that we are not tied to King Jesus in our eternal home. Go tell somebody. Won't you go tell somebody this week, this message. Heaven is a great big place, and there will be room for everybody in this town, this county, this nation and this world to enter through one of those twelve gates! Go and share this good news with somebody this very week, so that there may be somebody in that magnificent City, because you told them. Christ is our King of Righteousness. Trust Him and live a life worthy of Him. Look for His coming! Be expectant, the King is coming back for us soon! Critics of the church sneer "Where is your God?" and "The end of the Church is surely near". They are so impatient!!
Well... our God will appear soon. He is coming back as King of Righteousness, judging evil and rejecting those who reject Him whilst rewarding those who patiently trust and obey Him.
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Monday Sep 09, 2024
Monday Sep 09, 2024
Joy Gets Its Hands Dirty
Leviticus 18 & 19 & Mark 12:28-34
Introduction
From Mark 12, we see that Jesus said that the whole of the Law, including these verses from Leviticus 18-19, is summarised as “Love God and love all other people”.
The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “I am the Lord your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.(Leviticus 18:1-5)1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
3 ‘“Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.
4 ‘“Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
5 ‘“When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. 8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.
9 ‘“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:1-10)28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’
29 ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 31 The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
32 ‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)
Repeatedly in this book, God has said “Be holy, for I am holy”. But what is holiness? As we have glimpsed in the last 2 weeks, holiness is what separates God from all His creation. For God alone is holy and full of glory. Remember what Aaron had to do when entering the holy of holies on the day of Atonement? He had to create a wall of smoky incense, so that he wouldn’t glimpse God’s glory and holiness and be struck down dead, like his sons Nadab and Abihu. Holiness is in fact the sum of all God’s attributes. God is holiness and holiness is God.
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Sunday Sep 08, 2024
Sunday Sep 08, 2024
A God of Joy and His people
Introduction
Book of Leviticus
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Saturday Sep 07, 2024
Saturday Sep 07, 2024
Obedient Service of God
Introduction
Take for instance the food laws. We know in the New Testament that all food is now permissible, whereas under the Old Testament, certain foods were not permitted to be eaten. In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter had a dream in which all food was declared clean!It is also wise, not to see them as merely a list of "not do" statements, but also as "do statements".
Rather, we should see them as a love letter from a God who wants to save His people from distress and anxiety in order to give them a life of peace, unity, health and a joyful life in all its fullness.All these laws were to lead ancient Israel to be a holy nation. Holiness was about being set apart for a purpose and making wise, conscious decisions about what was right or wrong. It involved being obedient to God and keeping His decrees and regulations.
Being holy, involved having a lifestyle, which was contrary to the cultures surrounding them. To be holy was a lifestyle choice of worship, to reflect their holy God.They were called to be loyal! Called to be distinct! Called to worship! What has all this got to do with us? Where does the Day of Atonement and these laws fit into the life of a Christian in the 21st century? We will take a look in the third part in al little while!
Outline:
Introduction
- Great joy Leviticus 9:22-24
- Great tragedy Leviticus 10:1-11
- A God of Judgement
- A God of Wrath
- So what’s all this got to do with us today?
- New Covenant?
- Called to service
- Judged for our service
Conclusion
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Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Words In Scripture Explored – Trinity
One of the problems that people tell me they have with the Christian God is the concept of God being a Trinity, asking “Why must God be a Trinity?” After all they say, the word Trinity isn’t in the Bible! And they are partly correct, insomuch as that there is no explicit Bible text using the word trinity. However, the concept is explicit throughout the Bible.
Trinity is Love
Love Indivisible - One of the main errors people make regarding the Trinity, is that the three names, Father, Son and Spirit are simply three different modes of the one God. However the Christian doctrine of the Trinity states that God, is made of one indivisible essence or substance, and this is expressed in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each belongs to the whole undivided essence of God. The totality of God exists in the Father, the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is co-equal, co-eternal, self-conscious and self-directing. The three members never act in opposition to any other member, but always in complete union and harmony. The three members are always in complete union with the other.
Love Precession – This endeavours to describe the relationship within the Godhead. While, there seemingly is an order of succession in their relationship, this in no way means superiority & inferiority. The Son is begotten of the Father (John 3v16) and does the Fathers Will. Both the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit (John 15v26).
Love Relationship – There is a communal honour between the Trinity Persons (John 15v26; 16v13-15; 17v1, 8,18,23). In the work of redemption or salvation, there is a co-ordination in the Triune Godhead (Hebrews 10v7-17; Ephesians 4v4-6; 1 Corinthians 12v4-6). The Father ‘elects’ (Ephesians 1v4); The Son ‘redeems (Ephesians 1v7); and the Holy Spirit ‘seals’ (Ephesians 1v13-14).
Between the three Persons, there is an eternal unison in active purpose and yet seemingly external distinctive between the Three members of the Triune Godhead. If God was a single essence, as some people say, then how could love possibly be shown, as love requires more than one Person for it to be active? God is love. The Father totally loves the Son and the Spirit. The Son totally loves the Father and the Spirit. The Spirit totally loves the Father and the Son. This Trinitarian God exhibits love and commands His Disciples, to love one another so that He will be seen (John 13v34-25). When you show love, you reflect and reveal the Trinitarian God, in whose image you are made.